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Open Innovation

10 Jun

What Does a Healthy Innovation Portfolio Look Like?

by Stephanie Creech
in Collaboration Software, Enterprise Innovation, Idea Management Software, Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Types of Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] How can organizations ensure they’re investing in the right mix of innovation projects? The answer lies in building a healthy innovation portfolio. A well-structured innovation portfolio helps organizations balance risk and reward, align innovation efforts with strategic goals, and maximize the impact of their investments. By understanding what a healthy innovation portfolio looks like and how to manage it effectively businesses can drive sustainable growth, stay ahead of competitors, and future-proof their operations. With today’s relentless pace of change, fierce global competition, and ever-rising market expectations, the ability to innovate is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for year-to-year viability. Management knows it, and so does Wall Street: organizations that fail to continually innovate risk falling behind or becoming obsolete. Building and maintaining a healthy innovation portfolio gives companies the agility and resilience needed to thrive, ensuring that today’s investments set the stage for tomorrow’s success.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] What Is an Innovation Portfolio? [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] An innovation...

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19 May

What is Innovation Management?

by Hunter O'Donnell
in Collaboration Software, Idea Management Software, Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Solutions, Open Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Navigating Innovation Management: Implement a Scalable Process and Engaging Platform for Enterprise Ideation and Collaboration Creating Open Innovation Solutions [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1753166949426{padding-top: 30px !important;}"] Regardless of your organization’s innovation portfolio size or scope, every business needs a strategy and competitive advantage for growth and technological advancement. Supporting an innovative culture and adopting an innovation management platform across your company assesses valuable KPIs of the current pipeline and promotes future opportunities through the transformative power of innovation. But innovation management isn’t just a one-and-done task—it’s an ongoing, iterative journey. To truly harness innovation, organizations must continuously seek ways to improve and scale their ideas. This means actively gathering feedback from customers, employees, and stakeholders, then using those insights to refine current initiatives and guide future ones. Lessons learned—whether from triumphant launches or instructive failures—should be woven back into your processes, fueling adaptability and resilience. Innovation management rarely follows a straight line. Stages may overlap or repeat,...

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13 May

What is a Hackathon and Why They Matter

by Stephanie Creech
in Collaboration Software, Idea Management Software, Innovation Software, Innovation Solutions, Open Innovation, Technology Challenge, Types of Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Hackathons Explained [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] What is a Hackathon? [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_blockquote text="A hackathon is an event, typically lasting a short period of time, where people come together to collaborate in order to quickly solve a problem or identify new opportunities." title_tag="h3"][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1753159569291{padding-top: 30px !important;}"] The Role of Workshops and Training Sessions at Hackathons But what about all those workshops and training sessions you keep hearing about—are they really necessary? Absolutely. These bite-sized learning opportunities are where hackathon magic often starts to brew. Organizers know that not everyone walks in as a code-slinging prodigy or design whiz, so they stack the agenda with hands-on sessions designed to elevate everyone’s game, fast. Expect lively workshops on everything from Python basics and React tricks, to design thinking and agile project sprints. You’ll also find expert demos—think a crash course in Slack integrations or a Firebase walk-through—that help teams get comfortable with new tools on the spot. Don’t forget the practical tips...

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innovation solutions
09 May

What Are Innovation Solutions?

by Stephanie Creech
in Innovation, Innovation Challenge, Innovation Software, Innovation Solutions, Intellectual Property, Open Innovation, Technology, Technology Challenge, Technology Scouting
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Innovation can also come in the form of new types of services that offer improvements on old ways of doing things, meet previously unidentified needs or fill gaps in the market. More often, innovation solutions use technology to support and dispatch new services...

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02 Apr

The Five Pillars of Innovation-Driven Consortium Management

by Matthew Heim
in Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Building Collaborative Success Through Innovative Strategic Leadership [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="18px"][vc_column_text]In today’s fast-paced, interconnected world, industries are increasingly relying on consortia- collaborative alliances of organizations working toward common goals. These partnerships are particularly prominent in technology, healthcare, sustainability, and policy-driven sectors. While consortia are often established to address complex challenges, they frequently struggle with bureaucracy, stagnation, and lack of clear impact. To maximize their effectiveness, consortia should be managed as innovation endeavors with clear goals and objectives, rather than traditional administrative structures.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="18px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Nature of Consortia: Collaboration for Change [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="18px"][vc_column_text]Consortia bring together diverse stakeholders which tend to include private companies, government entities, academic institutions, and nonprofits, to tackle systemic challenges. Their mission often includes developing new standards, frameworks, technologies, or policies that benefit an entire industry. However, because they involve multiple organizations with differing priorities, they can become bogged down in slow decision-making processes and conflicting interests. A consortium can be established either as...

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25 Mar

Navigate Uncertainty

by Ryan Musarra
in Enterprise Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Research Services, Technology Landscape, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Turning Tariff Challenges into Opportunity [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]Across industries, companies are facing mounting uncertainty driven by tariffs, shifting trade policies, and global supply chain disruptions. These uncertainties are forcing organizations to reallocate resources from long-term innovation to short-term operational pivots. However, businesses that take a proactive approach to overcoming these challenges can emerge stronger and more competitive. The past decade has provided key lessons on how to navigate uncertainty. Between 2017-2021, businesses grappled with shifting tariff policies, reshaping global trade relationships, and the massive supply chain disruptions caused by COVID-19. Companies that adapted quickly by diversifying suppliers, investing in digital solutions, and building supply chain resilience fared better than those that reacted too slowly. Learning from these experiences can help organizations prepare for the next wave of uncertainty. At Ezassi, we help companies navigate uncertainty by identifying alternative supply chain solutions, evaluating nearshoring and reshoring opportunities, and uncovering innovation-driven cost-saving strategies. Here’s how companies...

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18 Mar

Procurement Strategy for Supply Chain Agility

by Huck Auluck
in Enterprise Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Research Services, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Ezassi Advantage: Enhancing Supply Chain Agility for Procurement Executives [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="16px"][vc_column_text] Why CPOs and Supply Chain Executives Should Pay Attention [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="16px"][vc_column_text]For Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs), procurement leaders, and supply chain executives, staying ahead of disruptions while driving efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability is more challenging than ever. This is where Ezassi comes in.  Ezassi is a cutting-edge open innovation platform that helps organizations streamline their procurement and supply chain processes through advanced scouting, ideation, and technology discovery. If you’re responsible for procurement strategy and supply chain resilience, here’s why Ezassi should be on your radar: [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="16px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#f2f2f2" width="100%" thickness="1"][vc_empty_space height="16px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="1/6"][vc_single_image image="20148" img_size="" alignment="center"][/vc_column][vc_column width="5/6"][vc_column_text] Harnessing Open Innovation for Competitive Advantage Procurement and supply chain functions are no longer just about cost-cutting, they’re about strategic innovation. Ezassi enables businesses to leverage external networks of innovators, startups, and research institutions to uncover groundbreaking technologies and solutions that drive efficiency and growth.  With Ezassi’s technology...

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11 Mar

Corporate Venture Capital

by Ryan Musarra
in Enterprise Innovation, Innovation Strategy Services, Open Innovation, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] The Hidden Challenges of Corporate Venture Capital [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="12px"][vc_column_text] (And How to Overcome Them) [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="18px"][vc_column_text css=""] How CVC Gives M&A Deals a Running Start One of the most valuable—but often overlooked—benefits of Corporate Venture Capital is how it can bolster the odds of success in future mergers and acquisitions. Consider this: Many startups eye acquisition by a larger company as their ideal “exit,” while corporations are always on the hunt for promising new technologies and growth opportunities. Unfortunately, history is littered with examples of disastrous acquisitions, often blamed on hasty, surface-level due diligence. Remember the high-profile case of GE’s ill-fated turbine buyout, which perfectly illustrated how poor timing and limited insight can spell financial disaster. CVC offers a smarter alternative. By taking a minority stake in a startup rather than jumping straight to a full buyout, corporations gain a low-risk seat at the table. This approach lets them: Build relationships with founders and teams over time ...

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26 Feb

Predictive Maintenance

by Dave Jones
in Chemicals & Materials, CPG Industry, Defense & Aerospace Industry, Energy Industry, Food and Beverage Industry, Innovation, MedTech & Life Sciences Industry, Open Innovation, Technology, Technology Landscape
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Predictive Maintenance in Industry 4.0 [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="20px"][vc_column_text]Predictive maintenance (PdM) is revolutionizing how businesses approach equipment upkeep, particularly in industries such as Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Aerospace and Defense, Energy, and Manufacturing. By leveraging Industry 4.0 principles- such as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), artificial intelligence (AI), and big data analytics- companies can predict equipment failures before they occur, reducing downtime, optimizing costs, and enhancing operational efficiency.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#d6d6d6" width="100%" thickness="2 px"][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_column_text] What is Predictive Maintenance? [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_blockquote text="Predictive maintenance involves continuously monitoring the condition and performance of equipment using advanced technologies like IoT sensors, machine learning models, and real-time data analytics. Unlike traditional reactive or preventive maintenance (PM), which either waits for failures to occur or follows a fixed schedule, PdM identifies potential issues based on actual equipment conditions. This proactive approach enables timely interventions, minimizing unplanned downtime and extending asset lifespans." width="80%"][vc_empty_space height="10px"][qodef_separator position="center" color="#d6d6d6" width="100%" thickness="2 px"][vc_empty_space][vc_column_text] The Role...

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30 Jan

What is Technology Scouting?

by Hunter O'Donnell
in Innovation, Innovation Software, Innovation Solutions, Open Innovation, Research Services, Technology, Technology Scouting
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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Staying ahead of technological advancements is crucial for corporate innovators aiming to enhance their R&D and innovation programs. One effective strategy to achieve this is through technology scouting. But what exactly is technology scouting, and how can it benefit your organization?[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Define Technology Scouting [/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height="22px"][qodef_blockquote text="Technology scouting is a proactive approach to identifying, evaluating, and acquiring emerging technologies and expertise from external sources. It involves systematically searching for technological solutions, patents, new research, trends, subject matter experts, and opportunities that solve for an organization's near-term objectives. This process enables companies to integrate external knowledge and adjacent technologies into their internal R&D efforts more effectively." title_tag="h3" width="100%"][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/3"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=""] How Technology Scouting Works A successful technology scouting process begins by defining challenges based on function rather than jumping straight to specific solutions. By focusing on the desired outcome, organizations can uncover innovative answers from unexpected industries or scientific fields—sometimes finding inspiration in sectors...

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